verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
afford the cost of sth
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We can’t afford the cost of a holiday abroad this year.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
ill
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Many of them are in fact very poor and can ill afford their habit.
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The nation could ill afford a logy commander-in-chief in the event of nuclear attack.
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But Kevin Curren struck some crucial blows - runs that Warwickshire could ill afford to concede at this stage of the match.
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Often it is something they can ill afford .
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He could ill afford to lose such support in 1946, the year of the mid-term elections.
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Sotheby's can ill afford to have its auction prices called into question.
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There may be no alternative to leave of absence, even though the nurse can ill afford the loss of income.
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Hadn't she already taken time off work which she could ill afford in her sister's interests?
longer
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The political system can no longer afford to be indifferent to the economy.
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Employers claim these are luxuries the nation can no longer afford .
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Polly could no longer afford the house on her own and moved out.
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We can no longer afford this attitude, in an age of fierce resistance to taxes.
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Changes would have to be made as she could no longer afford to support her entire family.
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Hospitals can no longer afford medicines and are turning patients away.
to
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Rebecca never closed for more than an hour at lunchtime - she always said she couldn't afford to .
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No, she did not own a car - could not afford to - but she did have a driving licence.
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He shouldn't bear to spend money on his own comfort, even when, in later years, he could afford to.
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You can borrow the money from a bank easily and quickly and pay it back later as you can afford to .
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I suppose we really couldn't afford to .
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More importantly, I couldn't afford to .
■ NOUN
chance
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For, even if they knew in general that it was unlikely to be the case, they could not afford to take chances .
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But can we afford to take chances ?
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This affords Brown a chance to explore the planet which he believes not to be as dead as it first appears.
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He also preferred the Durham system to the Cambridge system because it afforded the chance of more general courses of study.
country
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But such taxes would also increase the cost of capital for those countries which could least afford it.
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Few countries can afford increments in their recurrent budget.
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None of the world's poor countries can afford to curb industrial development.
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Can the country afford such a stiff bill for democracy?
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Rich countries can afford to spend money on the environment, but few have made it a priority in the past.
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When communications were inadequate and weak, it was argued, the country could ill afford the luxury of competing media.
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Basically that argument was simply that the country could not afford to go on expanding non-productive sectors such as social services.
family
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Few returned to school, because their families could not afford it.
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Each benefited from scholarships to win the education that family could not afford .
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Poor families could rarely afford medical insurance and treatment for more than one member, usually the father.
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Even if his family could have afforded to buy one, they could not have found a ready source.
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Because few families or newcomers can afford to live in the centre, the entire geography of New York is changing.
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When families can not afford this approach, they sometimes substitute less frequent, longer stays.
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They, or their families , can not afford to do so.
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Last year the dacoits kidnapped a man and broke both his legs because his family could not afford the ransom.
fee
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I must say that not all of them could afford the fees .
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But once in the park, she could not afford the separate admission fees for the parks within the park.
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Do you know how some of the kids afford the fees ?
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Perhaps because they were the only people able to afford the fees .
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Unable to afford Lumet's fee .
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We believe all parents have the right to choice in education - not only those who can afford school fees .
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Yet, what was she thinking, poor? when she could apparently afford to pay the fees for this child.
luxury
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When I painted it was for myself, I could afford the luxury of spending two years on a painting.
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The Fannings knew the Garcfas could not afford such a luxury these days.
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Smaller companies that can't afford these luxuries can sometimes arrange to use spare capacity on the network of a nearby multinational.
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But most people in Hanoi could not afford consumer luxuries , and even acquiring necessities was a full-time job.
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Is this what women became if afforded the luxury of turned tables?
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They couldn't afford the luxury of open-market values.
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Undefended, or strife-torn, it could afford no such luxury .
money
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There are those, however, who say the money can not be afforded .
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But I think the club has spent more money than it could afford .
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Raymond Cusick had hoped for six Daleks from his budget but in the end the money only ran to affording four.
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The client lost money he could not afford .
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Style pages cover Spitalfields stories regularly, to the extent that now only people with money can afford to live there.
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They have quite enough money to afford a hotel.
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Associate members with a little more money to spend can afford the comfort of local hotels.
opportunity
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His natural enthusiasm had quickly turned to the positive aspect of events, and the opportunities which they afforded him.
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An opportunity was afforded when the council supported El Universal in its uncomplimentary evaluation of the work of the early independence leaders.
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Yet most of the time they resist the temptation to exact retribution, despite the abundant opportunities the game affords .
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Deadwood was an opportunity he could not afford to give up, and so she seized the chance for a visit home.
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Slaves took advantage of the opportunities afforded to rebel.
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There were no start-up business opportunities that I could afford .
parent
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It had not occurred to her that my parents simply could not afford the dry-cleaning bills.
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One option might be variations on the kinds of private military schools that more affluent parents who can afford it already utilize.
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However, parents who could not afford to pay for the meals were to be in no way penalized.
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These sacrifices were necessary for my parents to afford the house and its upkeep.
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The thing is, my mum is a single parent and can't afford for me to stay there.
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Your parents can't afford to pay for a new bed.
people
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There will always be vast numbers of people who can not afford to pay.
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Yet they could not resolve the paradox that their revolutionary aims resulted in goods that only wealthy people could afford .
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You have to find creative ways of providing the illusion of space in a price tag that more people can afford .
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There are western goods in the shops but mostly people can only afford to look.
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On trip cancellation or interruption insurance, some people can not afford to lose even a couple hundred dollars.
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A large project like the power station will not benefit these people , but richer people can afford the appliances and electricity.
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Too many people can not afford them.
price
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An if we couldn't afford the price of admission, we found other distractions.
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But these were also the people who, it is safe to say, could afford to pay these prices .
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This is what passes for social life for the majority, who can't afford the much higher prices in bars.
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Can local groups afford these prices ?
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In this way they can afford the high prices for the land.
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They do, however, insist that if we can't afford the extortionate asking price , then not to worry.
protection
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The thought sent Isabel scrambling into her gown again, as though the garment might afford her some protection .
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The Legislature banned lion hunting in 1972, and voters afforded special protection with an initiative approved in 1990.
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The man was no fool and his very cynicism afforded him some protection .
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The agreements expired in 1992 and were not renewed, because they afforded the kind of protection banned under international trade agreements.
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I am sure one of them would afford you the protection that you seek.
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It is this, primarily, because suitable cover is afforded for protection and food is plentiful for the young fishes.
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True, the Government has continued to afford him protection , an expensive commitment for which he helps pay.
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Assists in maintaining proper bowel function and affords protection against diverticulosis, haemorrhoids and varicose veins.
view
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There is a large garden which contains a swimming pool and affords views of the busy harbour below.
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A roof-top terrace affords enchanting views .
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The lounge, of marble and mirrors, and the light, airy restaurant both afford canal views .
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Their paths afford spectacular views , and new vistas open up around every corner.
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One wall was a picture window affording a pastoral view of Lower Los Angeles right down to the beach.
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Long since abandoned by the sea, Rye is now a hilltop town affording super views of the surrounding countryside.
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Leadburn Inn Dine in luxurious splendour in a beautifully converted railway carriage, which affords panoramic views over the Pentlands.
■ VERB
can
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The price of success is usually highest for those who can least afford to pay.
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Q: Can the Democratic Party afford to take the black vote for granted?
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What is a fair profit margin to add to this total? Can local groups afford these prices?
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You can t afford to let him get you on the run.
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We can t afford to get arrested in a foreign country.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
afford/have/enjoy the luxury of sth
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Defenders have the luxury of double-teaming Riley.
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In the criminal trial, the prosecution did not have the luxury of depositions.
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Is this what women became if afforded the luxury of turned tables?
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The human species can no longer afford the luxury of such long double-takes or the leisurely changes of heart of entrenched scientists.
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They couldn't afford the luxury of open-market values.
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They did have the luxury of hit and run.
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We do not have the luxury of thinking our problems will miraculously be solved by better times ahead.
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When I painted it was for myself, I could afford the luxury of spending two years on a painting.
sb can ill afford (to do) sth
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The senator can ill afford another scandal.
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If land is not suitable for efficient farming, we can ill afford it being used for inefficient agriculture.
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It does not make sense to squander important resources that the nation can ill afford to lose.
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Many of them are in fact very poor and can ill afford their habit.
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Often it is something they can ill afford.
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Sotheby's can ill afford to have its auction prices called into question.
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Surely it would be a drain on Party resources that it can ill afford.
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There may be no alternative to leave of absence, even though the nurse can ill afford the loss of income.
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Yet it is an area which practitioners can ill afford to ignore.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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Helena doesn't feel she can afford any more time away from work.
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The window affords a beautiful view out over the city.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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Filling in the two charts on page 32 gives the best indication of what you can afford .
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Fortunately Joe's can afford for me to use chemicals and paper as I like.
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It is successful because it produces a high quality product on time at a price the customer can afford .
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Many smaller companies simply can not afford to buy health insurance for employees and remain in business.
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My parents used to say that their son would have the best education they could afford .
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No show can afford that kind of scandal, particularly a brand-new one, hungry for the ratings.
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The School Board next week is expected to meet in executive session and determine how much it can afford to offer.